Safety in plant-based meat alternatives: microbiological insights for quality assurance

Introduction: modern food trends have evolved towards a consumer preference for plant-based products. Plant-based meat analogues have emerged as a promising alternative to traditional cold meats such as ham1. Health concerns and consumers’ search for healthy options with reduced animal protein, fat, salt and cholesterol are the main reasons for the development of these products Purpose: this study aimed to assess the microbial load in a novel sliced plant-based meat analogue. Microbiological analysis was conducted throughout the shelf-life of the product. A challenge test with Clostridium sporogenes spores and Listeria monocytogenes was carried out at 4 ℃ (refrigeration temperature) and 10 ℃ (abuse temperature) for 28 days to evaluate pathogen growth on this novel product.